Life-buoy.



W. CARROLL.

LIFE BUOY.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. me.

Patented Nov. 21', 1916.

WILLIAM CARROLL, OF EAST HAM, ENGLAND.

LIFE-BUOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21,1916.

Application filed June 10, 1916. Serial No. 102,924.

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to life buoys and has for its object to provide alife buoy of improved construction which will be lighter and of greaterbuoyancy than those at present in use, and which can also be morecheaply constructed.

In constructing a life-buoy according to the present invention the buoyis made of the usual annular shape and since a core consisting of asingle piece of wood cut to such a shape would necessarily be weak attwo sections owing to the grain of the wood, an important feature of thepresent invention is the employment of two or more thicknesses of woodfastened to each other in the well known way with their grains arrangedin different directions. By using a central core of multi-ply woodsubstantially uniform strength and stiffness of every section isobtained.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by way of example one constructionof lifebuoy in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 1 is a view in plan. Fig. 2 is a sectional view in sideelevation.

In the construction illustrated I employ an annular disk a of four plywood and form a covering Z) of water proof material or canvas, which ispreferably made in the known manner consisting of a number of sections 6which are shaped to fit over the disk a. Each section b of the coveringconsists of two sectors of the covering material adapted to lie one ontop and the other underneath a portion of the disk 00 and attachedtogether along their inside edges at 12 The radial width of thesesectors is greater than the width of the annular disk at of four plywood. After placing-the sectors 6 in position they are temporarily fixedto the wood a by suitable clamps and the packing of buoyant material a,such, for instance, as kapok, is placed between the disk at and thecover I), the whole of one side being done first, the disk a being thenturned over and the other side being similarly packed. When the packinga is complete, the sections 6 of the cover are temporarily sewn inposition around their outside edges 6 the upperportion of each sectionbeing attached to the lower portion of the same section. The adjacentends 79 of the sections, of which there may be four are then inclosed byjunction pieces cl which overlap the said ends 6 for a short distance.These junction pieces 03 consist of two small sectors of similarmaterial to the cover 6 shaped to fit over the adjacent ends of thesections 6 of the cover, the two small sectors being attached to eachother by sewing along their inner edges al so that one sector lies overthe top of the adjacent ends of the sections?) of the cover and theother small sector is similarly disposed below. The buoy is thenfinished oil by permanently sewing together the outer edges of the wholecover including the large sections 6 and the junction pieces (Z. Thejunction pieces 21 are also sewn to the large sections radially alongtheir edges (Z The covering may be made of any suitable material,preferably water proof, or painted canvas may be employed.

A series of loop ropes or the like 6 are then attached to the buoy bytheir ends, so that the loops lie outside the circumference of the buoy.Each loop 6 is provided at about its center with a cylindrical or othersuitable shaped float f consisting ofa piece of water proof materialinclosing a packing of kapok or other buoyant material.

It will be found that buoys according to my invention can be morecheaply constructed than those at present in use and for a given sizeare of greater buoyancy and less weight.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A life buoycomprising an annular disk of multi-ply wood, provided with a packing ofsuitable quantity of buoyant material held in position upon said diskand inclosed, by a covering of flexible or woven material.

2. A life buoy comprising an annular disk of multi-ply wood, provided onboth sides with a packing of suitable quantity of buoyant material heldin position upon said disk and inclosed by a cover of flexible or wovenmaterial.

3. A life buoy comprising an annular disk of multi-ply wood, a packingof buoyant material, a covering of flexible water-proof material, saidcovering being made in 1 sections, .overlapping junction pieces coveringthe ends of the said sections.

l. A life buoy comprising an annular disk of multiply Wood, a packing ofbuoyant material, a covering of flexible Water-proof material, saidcovering being made in sections, overlapping junction pieces coveringthe ends of said sections, and an exterior looped flexible memberattached to the buoy by being confined Within said junction pieces. I

5; A lifebuoy comprising an annular disk of multi-ply Wood, and apacking ofbuoyant material, a covering of flexible Water- Copies of thispatent'may be obtained'for proof material, said covering being made insections, overlapping junction pieces covering the ends of the saidsections, and an exterior looped flexible member attached to the buoy bybeing confined Within said junction pieces, and a float upon each ofsaid loops. I

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

, WILLIAM CARROLL. Witnesses: I

G. V. SYMES, S. A. HART.

five cents each,- by addressing the Commissioner of Patents; Washington,13.0.

